Welcome to this issue of
Qué tal in the Current Skies

Here you will find useful observing information about the visible planets,
our Moon and other moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout.
Animated images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects,
or apparent and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular features include plotting the monthly positions of the
visible planets using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's apparent motion and the Earth's real
motion along the ecliptic.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.

Month at a Glance:This month being only 28 days long is wrapped in full Moons with the full Moon of
January 31st and the full Moon of March 2nd. During February the planet viewing is essentially during the morning before the
Sun rises with Jupiter, Mars, then Saturn rising in that order up from the from the eastern horizon. Mercury and Venus both
start reappearing as evening planets toward the end of the month with viewing getting better next month.
Click here for a printable month at a glance calendar.
This animated graphic is set for 6 am CST on February 15th and shows how the morniing planets, like the rest of the 8 planets have orbits that are
not that greatly inclined from the plane of the ecliptic.

Mercury moves into superior conjunction, on the other side of the Sun, and will not be visible for viewing until later next month
when it reappears in the evening skies.

Venus slowly reappears after sunset this month by will still be relatively close to the Sun and thus not that easily seen.
Mars rises several hours before the Sun rises and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise.
Dwarf Planet Ceres is sort of visible having an
apparent magnitude of 6.5. Look high over the southern horizon about 10-15o above the junction of the inverted y-shape for Cancer the Crab.
Jupiter rises several hours before the Sun rises and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise.
Saturn rises a couple of hours before the Sun and is visible above the southeast horizon at sunrise.